Patriot

Navalny recounts his childhood memories surrounding the Chernobyl disaster and his early experiences in Soviet military towns. He vividly recalls seeing soldiers in white protective suits monitoring cars with radiation detectors near his home after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion in 1986. Though the government officially blamed the checks on supposed foreign saboteurs, his parents understood that the real purpose was to track radiation spread. 

Navalny’s family lived near Obninsk, a nuclear research hub, where provisioning was better than in typical Soviet towns. He reflects on shopping trips, his father’s military service, and the restricted-access environment they lived in. His father came from the village of Zalesiye, near Chernobyl, and many family members lived there. They were eventually evacuated due to the disaster, leaving behind homes and possessions, a process marked by confusion and tragedy.

Navalny recalls the Soviet government’s many lies about Chernobyl, from denying the severity of the explosion to staging fake media interviews for foreign journalists for “propaganda purposes” (31). Despite government efforts, locals quickly learned the truth from personal connections, contrasting sharply with the state’s misinformation campaign. 

Navalny shares family stories, including how his grandmother secretly baptized him despite his father’s Communist Party membership, risking severe consequences.